Taiwan President to visit Panama and Paraguay

President Tsai Ing-wen is leading a delegation to visit two of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies in Latin America, Panama and Paraguay. The delegation is flying on a chartered China Airlines Boeing 777-300ER, with which arrangements have been made to make sure it won’t be affected by the flight attendant strike currently happening. Members of the delegation include the National Security Council Secretary-General, Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General, foreign minister, representatives from the ministries of economic affairs, transportation, oversea community affairs, members of parliament, and business representatives.

The delegation will first make a stop in Miami, Florida, where Tsai is expected to attend a Miami Marlins game to cheer on Wei-Yin Chen, a Taiwanese pitcher for the team. The delegation then will make a state visit to the Republic of Panama (diplomatic relationship first established in 1910 with the Qing dynasty) at the invitation of President Juan Carlos Varela. The delegation will attend the inauguration ceremony for Panama Canal Expansion on 26 June and visit Evergreen Group‘s Colon Container Terminal. Evergreen Marine Corporation, founded by Taiwanese businessman Yung-Fa Chang in 1968, is the fourth largest containerized-freight shipping company in the world.

After Panama, President Tsai will make a state visit to the Republic of Paraguay (diplomatic relationship established in 1957), where she is expected to meet with President Horacio Cartes and deliver a speech at the Congress of Paraguay in Asunción. The delegation will leave Paraguay on 30 June for Los Angeles, where Tsai will meet the Taiwanese community in southern California, and then depart for Taipei on 1 July.